Women's Cross Country: 2008 Outlook

Sep 11, 2008

Sept. 11, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -
The Yale women's cross country team is refreshed and reloaded after a year
that saw some surprising ups, downs and many graduations. Through
their performances, the Bulldogs will look to answer three questions.

Will the Bulldogs survive the last graduation class? The 2008 edition of the
Yale women's cross country team will start the year looking to escape the
shadow of one of the greatest Bulldog runners in school history: six-time
All-American Lindsay Donaldson. Donaldson aside, key Heptagonal Championships
performers (Ingrid Sproll, Meredith Leenhouts) and senior leadership (track and
field captain Elizabeth Calle) have also graduated. How will the team fill the
gaps?

Without the "big guns", how will the Bulldogs fare in conference competition? The women have only four seniors on the roster and with experience such a valuable commodity in cross country, won't having a young roster work against the harriers?

In fact, the Bulldogs are loaded with experience, evidenced above by seven
runners having raced at the Heptagonal Championships already; the question is
if all the runners will stay healthy. While impossible to predict, injury is
one of the "make or break" factors for Yale this year. Senior Bevin Peters
and junior Allyson Rinderle both possess sub 18:10 personal bests on Van
Cortlandt Park (the annual site of the Heptagonal Championships). However,
these times were run in 2006 and 2005 respectively. For the Bulldogs to be
successful this year, all contributors must be healthy.

Last year, Ingrid Sproll was the Bulldogs' surprise performer; the 800-meter
runner ran a huge personal best and finished third for the team at the
Heptagonal Championships. Will there be another big surprise runner this year?

The unknown is an intriguing area for Yale women's cross country. Untapped
commodities such as sophomore Mary Caroline Miller or any of the freshmen could
be that special runner this year for the Bulldogs. Maybe it will be a proven
star, such as sophomore Kate Grace, who sat out last season in cross country
due to illness. Maybe it will be another veteran who makes a massive breakthrough.
Senior Kathryn Schleckser made huge improvements to become the team's seventh
runner - perhaps there is more in the tank.

The Yale women's cross country team will begin its autumn campaign on
Saturday, September 31, at the Fairfield Invitational in Fairfield, Conn.